Magellan Sets Course for E-business, NT

As IBM steers the AS/400 deeper into unknown territories like e-business and Windows NT interoperability, Magellan Software Inc. (Laguna Hills, Calif.) has been quick to chart a similar course.

Known for its computer output to laser disk (COLD) and document imaging solutions, Magellan announced plans to embrace Web-based and Internet-related technology for business applications at this year's spring Common show in San Francisco.

At the forefront of Magellan's e-business initiatives are the company's SpyView and SpyImage products, designed to allow AS/400-based businesses to leverage the Internet for access to, and distribution of, corporate data and deployment of e-business applications. The products' most recent editions incorporate Adobe PDF support for viewing reports and document images.

With SpyView/Web Version 6.0, announced in the fall of 1998, Magellan began to offer a "thin view" interface to reports, images and PC files. SpyView/Web is designed to provide end-users access to data through any native Internet browser, without the need for plug-ins. The product continues to evolve as customers place greater demands on their solutions providers to e-business enable existing applications.

Also at Common, Magellan announced a release of SpyView that will accommodate AS/400 businesses seeking to manage paper-based processes on the NT platform, via the Integrated Netfinity server or a stand-alone NT server.

This decision to develop an NT solution is coming from the AS/400 community, according to Todd Januzzi, project manager for the NT rollout. "The AS/400 is a very open system, especially with recent advances in Internet-type connectivity," he says. "We just want to make sure that we can provide the most flexible and adaptable solution to meet the growing needs of our customers and prospects."

Magellan also announced the SpyView product suite for Windows NT is integrated with its StaffView workflow product to provide the ability to deploy an enterprise-wide solution incorporating workflow technology on the NT platform. "Some people see NT as a better way to access the Web," Januzzi notes.